Need advice on bike for ACTIVE son (7Yrs)
 

Hello biking enthusiants!

I am a mom of a very active 7 year old, and am looking for some advice on what to look for in a bike for my son. His bikes in the past have not been able to hold up to his abuse in the past so now it is time to step it up a bit a look into a higher quality one.

My son is very tough on his bikes... he will jump anything that he can run his tires over, will spend most all of the day tooling around on his bike and is not the most gentle when he gets off the bike either, yep a drop to the cement driveway is his style.. :)

Some of the issues that we have had with his bikes of the past are petals falling off, bent (really bent) rims, seats that won't stay tight in one position, and chains that fall off all the time.

If I could get some feedback from you BMX enthusiants out there as to what are important things that we should be looking for in a bike for him I would greatly appreciate it. Safety is a huge thing for me, I do not want to hinder my little guys enthusasim for pushing the limits on his bike so I would like to have a little piece of mind to know that his bike is built to hold up to his style. I am a novice when it comes to bike talk so please try to keep it fairly elementry for me if you don't mind.

Again, thanks so much for your time, I really appreciate it! I will let you know what we end up purchasing for him and how it works out. I am really looking forward to your responses.

Thanks Again,

Mom of 3 ACTIVE kids :)

Go to you're LBS and check out what kind of BMX's are in your price range and get them to throw in the following things:

2 bolt seat post.
2 Chain tensioners.
3 piece cranks.

I have yet to break my 1664 post and cause my seat to move, I'd imagine any other post like an Odyssey Intact would be the same. Chain tensioners will prevent the chain from becoming loose and when it does it makes it a lot easier to be set up again. The cranks are so you can get pedals with a 9/16 threading, a lot harder to break then the 1/2" pedals your sons bikes most likely had, plus they're just a lot stronger.

What's your price range?

I don't think price range is important yet.

What is important is that she gets a bike that fits him, has 3 piece crans and she gets the two other things I suggested. He doesn't absolutely need a full 4130 frame like some of us do, after all, he's not doing roof gaps or anything.

I do roofgaps... I wish anyways, just get a DK Six Pack... problem solved.

First of all, Thanks guys for your feedback... just thought I would add that the price range is below $150. Is this possible or should I be looking to spend more than that...

Thanks again... :)

You'll probably have to spend a little more than that. Bikes aren't toys, a lot of parents think they are and refuse to spend more than like 80 bucks on a bike for their kid, which might end up discouraging a lot of kids who would love riding and stick with it for a long time if they had a bike that would stay together.

Bump your budget to something around $200 or so and you will get something he will not destroy and he can use for years to come.

While I fully support active children, there is something to be said for having a basic respect for property. A good bike will stand up to a lot of use, but there will always be a limit to how much abuse a machine can take--even the best of machines. I'd suggest getting something on the low end of decent (from somewhere other than wall mart--you don't want a "toy", like MM2k said) and teaching him some basic maintenance. A kid can learn a lot from having to fix (or at least help fix) the problems he caused. chains do slip, things do come loose, and there are a lot of things that aren't too hard to adjust if you have a tool or two. The kid learns some life skills (like problem solving, and how to handle a screwdriver), discovers the value of preventative measures (like its easier to take care of it than fix unnecessary damage), and hopefully has a blast in the meantime.

Your point is very well taken and I greatly appreciate it. You are absolutly right and we do entend on teaching him the basics of taking care of it. I do not mean to give off the impression that my son is a spoiled child and we just let him beat on things... We are going to go and price out some bikes today at some bike shops here in town and I will keep you posted on what we find out.

Again thanks for the great feedback.. You all are truly providing us with some unbiased information...

http://www.danscomp.com/101106.php?cat=BIKES'

That would be good its a 16 inch, since he is only 7 and $209.99. But how big is he?

yea, that should be a pretty solid bike, except punx suggested it so stay away

hahaha. so true. I found better... two Hoffman bikes, 16 inch and 18 inch, depending on how big he is, pick one of these and it will be great for him. http://www.danscomp.com/101319.php?cat=BIKES http://www.danscomp.com/101320.php?cat=BIKES

i'd go wtih the 18 over the 16

as would I, obi-wan.

Will last him for longer

Are you an ACTIVE mom?!

Yeah.
Akward.
Go for the DK or Hoffman 18" complete. They make good complete bikes and the 18" like everyone else said will last him longer.

Has anyone else noticed that when any other person comes in that we are all ass holes but when its a mom we are all perfect gentlemen?

lets pick apart this post.

1. yes we've noticed. its not because she's a mother, its because:
a. she came in and used proper english and grammar
b. she was respectful and didnt say anything stupid or ask any stupid questions

2. lets go to the part where you said "we are all ass holes.."
a. who is the "we are" refering to? you've only posted a total of 35 times. i respect the fact
you've been a member for a year and havent been an ******* to you, i just think that you
dont desrve to be able to be part of the exclusive "we are" group.

3. i would hardly call kinetik asking if she is "active" being a 'perfect gentleman'

Thats harsh...im going to go cut myself in a corner WAH WAH

Take a hot bath while doing it, it works better, and cut down towards your elbow not across your wrists.

Please and thank you.

i'll tell you what.
you change your thing that says "nwebie bmxer" and i'll respect you

Ok, i forgot to change that, i've gotten alot better.

Beware the 18" wheel bicycle, the tires and tubes can be hard to come by.
You will need to bump your budget if buy from the LBS, at least $160 and probably around $200 for a true BMX. But the bike wil be assembled,and there will be service after the sale.
AND
Is he looking for a BMX or do you just want a simple bike(one without gears)?
What is his inseam? This is a bigger factor for fit than his age.

My recommends:
for the money: Giant Frantic or Specialized Hotrock 20" $160ish These are really what you are looking for.
More money, tougher bike: Giant Modem or Rhythm, Specialized Fuse, or a Redline Raid

...my bikes a toy

just bustin your balls :)

no ****